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Leeds moves closer to new British Library of the North as Boston Spa plans get green light

The creation a new state-of-the-art storage facility will underpin further plans to open a major new public-facing site in the centre of Leeds.

Georgina Pellant - 6th January 2022

The British Library has officially been given the green light by council bosses to redevelop its 44-acre campus at Boston Spa in West Yorkshire, which is currently home to more than three quarters of the Library’s collection of over 170 million items 

In April last year, the library submitted plans to Leeds' local authority outlining its intentions to expand by building a new 28m high, 57,000 sq ft Net Zero archive building - driven by the urgent need for more space for the British Library’s growing print collection.

Now that plans have been approved, the Library can move one step closer to its dream of transforming Temple Works into a new British Library of the North.

As part of the Boston Spa expansion, it will be demolishing some existing buildings on the site, formerly a Second World War munitions factory, in order to make room for a new archive that will feature a public gallery and 220km of new shelf space.

But that's not all. The library also plans to renovate its 1970s brutalist Urquhart building, by adding a cafe, restaurant and new reading room to be used by both visitors (such as local school trips) and its 500-strong team of on-site staff.

The new public viewing gallery will give school parties and other visitors an opportunity to see the vast scale and robotic technology of the Library’s ‘backstage’ operation in action for the very first time.

As for the gardens and surrounding areas, new and improved green spaces also feature in the plans - with the library keen to enhance the local biodiversity and its surrounding natural environment, replacing six old and outdated buildings with new bio diverse green spaces.

The budget for the redevelopment comes from a significant government investment that was first announced in the March 2020 budget.

Buildings at Boston Spa that are no longer in use will be removed, whilst it is hoped that the creation a new state-of-the-art storage facility will underpin further plans to open a major new public-facing site in the centre of Leeds.

The British Library is currently working with Leeds City Council and property developers Commercial Estates Group to explore options for bringing the iconic Temple Works building into public use and creating a new British Library of the North.

A planning officer's report accompanying the decision said: "The development proposals will create a state of the art storage facility which is positive and the development with enable the British Library's continued commitment to the campus at TATE, which has wider benefits for the city of Leeds.

"The design of the proposed building appears to be well considered and is a welcomed improvement to the previous design and the existing storage building.

"The wider changes to the campus are also supported with the improvements to the green environment, public accessibility and commitment to high levels of energy efficiency being particularly positive."

Feature image - The British Library